Semitrailer fifth wheel brake and electric connection



y 31, 1938- N w. s. GURTON ET AL 2,119,460

SEMITRAILER FIFTH WHEEL BRAKE AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 13. 1936 I nx n fora.

William 5 9arlo/1. Jose oh F/l'n. Herman Kvlerg.

May 31,1938. w..s. GURTON ETAL 2,119,460

SEMITRAILERFIFTH WHEEL BRAKE AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION Filed May 15; 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f go The principal Patented May 31, 1938 to Dominion V v 2,119,460 UNITED STATES PATENT 3 OFFICE SEIVIITRAILER FIFTH WHEEL BRAKE AND ELECTRIC CONNECTION and Herman assignors Truck Equipment 00., Limited,

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Application May 13 In Canada The principal objects of this invention are to provide automatic means for coupling the fluid brake connection between the tractor and trailer'mer'nber and also to automatically couple the electrical equipment of the trailer with that of the tractor, whereby certainties of manual or independent couplings for either the brake or electrical equipment will be eliminated. A further and important object is to provide a form of coupling which will be automatically retained securely against leakage irrespective of road conditions and so long as the tractor and trailer remain coupled.

an automatically coupling brake equipment which will ensure the brake equipmentof the trailer being always in operating condition when coupled to the tractor. feature of the invention con-- sists in the novel arrangement of fluid and electr ical connections on the trailer connected with their respective systems, and of a co-operative arrangement of fluid and electrical connections flexibly mounted upon the tractor to automatically engage in operative contact with the members on the trailer upon the coupling of the tractor and trailer, and in the provision of means for pressure holding the. tractor coupling elements in contact with the trailer elements to maintain a fluid seal and continuous electrical contact with a source of energy on the tractor. I

A further and important feature consists in the novelarrangement of'means for closing the fluid conduit on the tractor uponthe disengaging of the trailer'therefrom. 1

In the accompanying the inconveniences and un-v A further-and important object .is to provide drawlngfFigure 1 is a cular flange plate diagrammatic showing of the application of this invention to a tractor and trailer, the trailer 7 being shownslightly separated. from the tractor "and ready to be coupled thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view-in part horlzontal section throughthe linev 2-4 of Figure 3.

enlarged side elevational view illustrated in Figure 2 shown in part section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 14 is anenlargdhorizoptal sectional detail or the mating portion of thetruck and trailer units separated from each other.

Figure 3' is an 5 of the structure Figure 515 an enlargedlongitudinalpart sectional elevational view of the overlapping pore tious of the tractor and trailer showing same in coupledv relation with the control connections established and the fluid control valve open.

.The present invention is herein shown as applied to a semi-trailer constructionsuch as is 1,941,682, dated, January States Patent 1,995,920, dated Maren-26th, 1935,

"suring a snug resilient contact pressure between- 4 Claims. (c1. est- 33.1)

I is provided with-a supporting base plate or bearing member 2 which carries the front end of the trailer, and is connected thereto with a swivel connection as hereinafter set forth,

. The base plate 2 of thetra'ctor member of the connection is formed with a sloping guideway 3 leading to a substantially circular flat top 4, the converging slot between the guideways being adapted to engage and guide the flanged king pin 5 to its central position, where it will be positively retained by a suitable retractable locking device as indicated in dotted lines at 4, Figure 2,

such a device being shown in greater detail in the above mentioned patents. A block 5' extending from the underside of the circular plate 13 and rearwardly of the king pin 5 is adapted to also enter the convergingslot and to snugly en- 'slidably mounted. The bolts 1 are encircled by coiled compression springs 8 held in said brackets, and adjustments of the compression of the springs may be made by ed on said bolts.

The head ends I!) of the bolts are rigidly secured in the end of. the bar H which extends across the plate and is formed with an arched central portion l2, the curved face of which is adapted to engage the circumference of the cirl3 of the trailer member Hi.

The tension of the springs 8 holds the arched cross bar in a position to engage'the periphery means of nuts 9 threadof the flange plate llasit moves inwardly into the guide considerably of the kingpin 5 by prior to the engagement shown rigidly secured to-tlie trailer plate It and projecting therebelow. Consequently, as the trailer is moved into'its locked position,-the springs are placed under suchtension as contact by the b er bar. This pressure exerts a continuous backward pressure on the king pin, and any play in the king pin mechanism will be resisted by the springs 8, thus preventing rattling of the coupling, thrust against'the king pin, and coincidently enthe two engaging surfaces for the further purpose ofmaintaining a fluid-and electrical connection, as will be hereinafter pointed out. The trailer plate I! is here shown having upstanding side flanges l3 horizontally hinged-at 13"- to downturned'side flanges llof a bearing plate the fastening member 4 v the; king pin 5 being here ll ensure a constant pressure also eliminating unduef i ll? on which the trailer memberll rests in illustrated and described in United States Patent 2nd; 1934,. and United turning contact about a vertical axis H'.

The bar H is herein shown formed with a pair of conduits I! and", the inner ends of which terminate in the tapered sockets l1 and" lirespectively,

and within these sockets are arranged the "tapered rubber gaskets l8 and)".

Pipes II and I! connect the conduits II and I 6 respectively with a valve casing 23 supported by a bracket 24 beneath the flange-plate I 3 and a piston valve 25 is arranged within this valve casing and-is adapted to control the ports of the valve casing leading to the pipes 2| and respectively.

' a rod 2s through and secured to the piston valve is connected to the pipe 2i entering the-bar ll, so that when the trailer is discon nected and the flange member It is withdrawn I from engagement with the bar I I, the movement or the bar l'l actuated by the spring I moves the rod 28 longitudinally to operate the valve to close the ports. .A' coiljspring 2'! ismounted on the endoitherodil. I

Pipes II' and 20 connected to the vacuum or fluid braking system 01 the tractor are connected to the valve casing 23 opposite to the connection of the. p pes-Ii and 22 there 1 It will be readily understood that the operation of the piston valve effectively shuts ofl communication of the conduits f5 and IS in the bar Hf'when the trailer is disconnected from the tractor and that ,the valve will be moved to its opening position on the coupling of the; tractor and trailer.

The braking mechanism of the trailer has connected therewith a pair of pipes 3|! and ii which lead to. a pair of cylindrical sockets 32 and 33 formed in the circular face of the member II which engages the bar ll. These sockets are aligned with the tapered sockets l1 and I8 and have. mounted therein the circular rubber gaskets J4 and 35 which are adapted to enter said tapering sockets and engage the gaskets l9 and 20 and a compression joint is formed between the two pairs 01' gaskets which will be air tight, and by reason of the constant spring tension on the bar,

' ll these gaskets will remain in sealed contact since when the trailerv be coupled withthe sages the flange plate II, making the fluid conbar 1| is provided-with a socket at midway between'the inner ends of the conduits i5 and II. This socket is tapered and within it'is arranged an electrical conductor member which is insulated therefrom and is connected with theelectric condult "leading to the electric supp y system in the The flange plate of the trailer has secured therein midway between the sockets l1 and 33, an electrical connection plug 3. provided with a tapered end adapted to enter the socket 36. This plug is-insulated from the member II and is connected to; the wire conduitll leading to the electrical equipment oi the trailer.

It will be understood that'as thecoupling oi the tractor and trailer is made the plug ll enters the socket]. making an electrical connection automatically concurrently with the connection oi .the fluid b aking The device is extremely simple, but very positive and eilective in operation, and it will be readily appreciated that it is entirely automatic and bar being mounted for requires no attention on the'part of the operator of the vehicle.

It must be understood that electrical connections could be substituted in place of the fluid connector elements, where it, is desired to use some form of electric brake in which an electric current actuates on solenoids or magnets in-the rear wheels of the trailer'so as to causethe brake to be applied. a

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a tractor and trailer, said tractor having a, bearing plate, a spring-cushioned bufier bar extending'transversely oi the tractor above the bearing plate and mounted for fore and aft cushioned displacement, a bearing plate mounted on the trailer and engaging said bufl'er bar to tension the spring means thereof as said plates -move into coupling relation, means for locking said plates in tractor and trailer coupling relation, and control systems carried respectively by the tractor 'and trailer to be connected and disconnected on the coupling and uncoupling of the tractor and trailer; detachable connection means forming terminals of said respective systems fix'- edly mounted respectively on said spring-mountengageable to connect said respective systems only 'on the displacement of said buffer bar whereby.

the tension set up in the spring cushioning means thereof serves to resiliently hold said detachable Y on the trailer and the means for locking the respective plates in coupling relation includes a king pin member projecting downwardly from the 'ed bufler bar and said trailer bearing plateand trailer plate into a longitudinally disposed slot in the tractor plate to be engaged by a locking member and said trailer platealso carries a downwardly extending locking projection spaced-rearwardly from the king pin and accommodated in said slot to lock the respective plates against relative rotation in their coupled relation and ensure'registration or the respective detachable connection-means oi the tractor and trailer.

3.'Means as claimed in'claim 1 inwhich said connection means includes fluid coupling means bar and in part mounted in part on said bufler v on the bearing member 01' the trailer, said bufler sliding spring cushioned fore ,and aft-displacement only on the tractor bearing member, valve means separate from said,

fluid coupling means for controlling the supp y of fluid to said bufler-carried fluid coupling means,

and means for operating said valve means in ace cordance with the position of saidbufl'er bar on the tractor bearing member.

- 4. Meansas claimed in'claim i in whichsaid connection means includes fluid coupling means 1 x mounted in part -on-'said buffer bar and in part on the bearing member '0! the trailer, said butler bar being mounted i'or sliding spring cushioned fore and alter displacement only on the tractorbearing member, valve means separate from said fluid coupling-means for controlling the supply of fluid to said butler-carried fluid coupling means, 'and means for operating said valve means in accordance, with the position of said bufler baron the tractor bearing member, said valve means being mounted in a protected position below said tractor plate and having an operating control connection'operatively connected with said butler bar;

WILLIAM s. GURTON. JOSEPH; Pm.- 

